The Importance Of Serenity

A wise person will say that one cannot accurately judge oneself, but if I were to attempt, I would say I am a person whom exhibits serenity. I was always very calm, and very independent. I never got involved in team sports; I had never even stepped into a gym before. Instead I meditated, did yoga, and read a lot of books. Children are social by nature; therefore I seemed different in my younger years, caught in a purgatory of youth and the odd maturity of my personality. Many of my peers put me down. They would say that I was “naïve,” “scrawny,” “just a pretty face.” I was a child, and it invocated a sense of insecurity that affected me despite my best efforts. I felt like I needed to accomplish something great. I wanted to prove not only to …show more content…
I ran three miles a day and practiced yoga every day for two months. My diet consisted of fish, quinoa, wild rice, and vegetables. I had never been in better shape. Despite all of my efforts, my friends and family were convinced that I would fail. When I met the eleven other people I was climbing with, they also didn’t believe I would make it to the 19,342-foot summit. They would crack jokes how I was the baby of the trip because I was only fifteen and how I was too relaxed and un-athletic. However, I knew I was ready. The day before we left to climb, I looked in the mirror and saw a different person. Physically and mentally, I had become …show more content…
The porridge was white, thick, and uninviting, but it was all I could get down. I looked around and saw my friends’ ghostly white faces and matted hair. We had not showered in five days and the lack of cleanliness began to show. We had just spent these past few days traveling through the beautiful landscapes of Mount Kilimanjaro. We hiked through rainforest, meadows, hills, and desert-like areas. I heard the porters gathering their things; I knew it was time to climb to the summit. I could barely feel my hands and feet as I trudged up the steep incline of snow. I looked back momentarily to see how far we’ve gone and saw my friend Dan falling behind. He was suffering from altitude sickness, which was causing him to throw up. My friend Emma and I grabbed him, put his weight on our shoulders, and carried him up with us. Right as I thought this journey would never end, I saw a green sign peeking out of the gentle, pristine snow saying “Congratulations! You are now at Uruhu Peak!” Emma, Dan, and I all looked at each other and yelled, “We did it!” and embraced each other in a hug that felt like forever. We walked over to the green sign and sat down. The exhaustion overwhelmed my body. Emma laid her head on my shoulder and put her warm palm in mine. We sat there, peacefully, and watched the sky fill with rainbow light as the sun rose above the clouds. I felt my heart stop and a tear roll down my face. At that